Period Pain and Endometriosis

Endometriosis is an inflammatory chronic condition, unfortunately there is no complete cure, and some things will work better for some people and not work at all for others. Aside from the classic advice of exercising regularly, sleeping well, and eating a balanced diet (and these things are not always accessible for everyone) here are my own tried and tested coping techniques for how to deal with period pain and endometriosis, and I hope it will help you with the other conditions too!

Some of these are affiliate links which means I earn something if you buy through them. Some products were also gifted. Please know that I only recommend products that I love and use myself! If you’d like to support my work, do consider becoming a member on Patreon or donate to my Ko-fi!

Tens Machine

I cannot begin to express how much of a life saver my tens machine has been! This is not sponsored by Ovira but they did gift me a tens machine which I use every day, it helps my chronic joint pain as well as my Endometriosis pain. Get your own here!

Diet, Supplements, and Tea!

• Of course I am going to recommend tea ;) Green tea, chamomile tea, peppermint tea, lemon, honey, cinnamon, and ginger tea all have anti-inflammatory properties and can have a positive impact on those with endometriosis.

• Eating a diet of nuts, seeds, avocado, fatty fish and other anti-inflammatory food can reduce inflammation and strengthen your immune system!

• Drink more water! A reminder we always need, (or at least I do!)

• I am sure many of you are aware how beneficial Omega 3, Vitamin C, Magnesium, and Vitamin D are for many things, but they are also recommended for Endometriosis! Starflower oil and Evening primrose are other supplements that many find helpful.

Essential Oils

• I have found mixing Clary Sage Essential Oil with a carrier oil or cream and rubbing on the affected area works instantly to decrease cramping and pain.

• Many other essential oils are used to help, do your own research and try different things until you find what works for you!

SomeDays

• This company is founded and run by a person with endo, and there is a lot of info on their website that I found helpful! This is not an affiliate link, I have used some of their products and found them helpful! Combining dry brushing with anti-inflammatory oil (SomeDays has a body oil called After Flow) is also a helpful way to reduce symptoms in some people. I can recommend their cramp cream as a carrier cream for essential oils!

Heat and Cold

• Everyone knows how comforting a hot water bottle can be, and it is a reliable aid for any cramp. Investing in single use heat packs for on the go or when you are unable to use a hot water bottle for any reason is also a good idea. My favourite thing to use is this clay-bead-weighted microwavable wrap from Shakti and BLOSSOM10 will give you 10% off all their products!

• You can also buy a hot water bottle cover for portable use and comfort! (Putting 3 – 4 drops of your favourite essential oil onto a teabag and slipping it into the pocket of your hot water bottle cover will help diffuse the aroma!

• Warm baths, again you can add essential oils here, can also help.

• Sometimes using an ice pack or cooling patch brings relief, too (especially for itchy laparoscopy scars!)

Medication

• Of course, not suitable for everyone, but searching until you find the right contraceptive pill or painkiller can be really helpful.